Nut retaining socket wrench

ABSTRACT

A nut retaining socket wrench device includes a tubular body member having a tool receiving socket at its proximate end and a nut engaging socket at its distal end. An axially movable plunger is coaxially supported within the body member and carries at its distal end a frustoconical resilient plastic plug for releasably engaging the bore of a nut engaged by the distal socket. The plunger is spring biased to position the plug proximate the outer end of the distal socket and is urged inwardly when a nut is tightened on a bolt by the end of the bolt.

United States Patent n91 Stumpf et al.

[ 1 Dec. 24, 1974 I NUT RETAINING SOCKET WRENCH [76] Inventors: Howard C. Stumpf, 1238 Salem St.,

Malden, Mass. 02148; Daniel A. Laskey, 329 Lincoln Ave., Saugus, Mass.

[22] Filed: Nov. 7, 1-973 21 Appl. No.1 413,641

[52] U.S. Cl. .Q 81/125 [51] Int. Cl B25b 13/02 [58] Field of Search 81/13, 71, 124, 125

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,834,241 5/1958 Chowning 81/125 3,207,010 9/1965 Wendling 81/125 3,789,706 2/1974 Smith 81/125 X Primary Examiner-Al Lawrence Smith Assistant Examiner-James G. Smith Attorney, Agent, or FirmWilliam R. Liberman 57 ABSTRACT A nut retaining socket wrench device includes a tubular body member having a tool receiving socket at its proximate end and a nut engaging socket at its distal end. An axially movable plunger is coaxially supported within the body member and carries at its distal end a frustoconical resilient plastic plug for releasably engaging the bore of a nut engaged by the distal socket.

The plunger is spring biased to position the plug proximate the outer end of the distal socket and is urged inwardly when a nut is tightened on a bolt by the end of the bolt.

6 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures NUT RETAINING SOCKET WRENCH BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to improvements in tools and it relates particularly to an improved nut engaging and retaining socket wrench device.

It is frequently necessary to apply and tighten a nut or to loosen and remove a nut from a bolt in a highly inaccessible position where clearances are barely sufficient to accommodate a socket wrench. The nut in such cases cannot be reached by the fingers or with a suitable tool for retrieving the separated nut or for applying the nut to the bolt attendant the tightening thereof. As a consequence, the nut is released in the area of the bolt and may lodge in places which interfere with the operation of the associated machine or device. Many wrench type devices have been put forward which may engage and retain a screw or nut but these possess numerous drawbacks and limitations. They are complex and bulky devices of limited application, low reliability, of little versatility and adaptability, and otherwise leave much to be desired.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is-a principal object of the present invention to provide an improved tool.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved n ut retaining and turning tool.

Still another object' of the present invention is to provide an improved socket wrench having means for releasably retaining an engaged nut.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a nut retaining socket wrench which is highly compact and capable of reaching highly confined locations.

Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a tool of the above nature characterized by its reliability and adaptability.

The above and other objects of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment thereof.

In a sense, the present invention contemplates the provision of an improved nut retaining socket wrench device comprising a longitudinally extending body member having a nut-engaging socket in its distal end, a nut bore engaging retainer member mounted in the body member coaxial with the socket and axially mov-- able between an advanced position proximate the distal end of the socket and a retracted position rearwardly of the advanced position and means resiliently urging the retainer member toward its advanced position.

In the preferred form of the improved socket wrench, the body member is of tubular configuration with the nut engaging socket at the distal end, a tool engaging socket at the proximate end and an axial bore between the sockets and having a portion of small diameter rearwardly of the distal socket. The retainer member comprises a frustoconical plug formed of a resilient compressible synthetic organic polymeric resin and is mounted at the distal end ofa rod slidably engaging the bore. A helical compression spring engages the slide rod and is entrapped between the retainer member and a shoulder surrounding the distal end of the bore to urge the rod and retainer member to their advanced positions.

The improved socket wrench device is compact, rugged and reliable and can reach locations of minimal accessibility and is highly versatile and adaptable and of wide application.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a front elevational view, partially fragmentary, of a socket wrench device embodying the present invention and shown retaining anut in association with a mating bolt;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken along line 2-2 in FIG. 1; I

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along line 3-3 in FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along line 4- 4 in FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THEPREF ERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawing which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, reference numeral 10 generally designates the improved socket wrench device which is illustrated as employed with a nut 11 of the type having a serrated upper peripheral surface 12, it being understood, that by slight modifications of wrench device 10, as will be hereinafter described, it may be employed with other types of nuts such as square nuts, hex nuts or the like. Nut 11 is shown by way of example, for application toor separation from a bolt employed in joining a pair of components l4 and 16 having axially aligned bores engaged by bolt 13.

Wrench 10 includes a longitudinally extending tubular body member 17 having anaxial bore 18 extending from the lower or distal end of body member 17 to, a

4 point below the upperor proximal end thereof. A tool receiving socket 19, of square transverse cross section, is formed in the proximal end of body member 17, the inside faces of socket l9 having oval recesses 20 formed. therein for the reception of matingly located releasable locking spring biased detents in the coupling end of a drive member 21. The drive member; 21 is of known construction and may be power or hand driven and includes a shaft 22 terminating in square stub shaft mating socket 19 and provided with an inner peripheral shoulder section 23.

The distal end portion of bore 18 is provided with longitudinal serrations 24 to define a socket for slidably receiving and matingly engaging the serrated portion 12 of nut 11. It should be noted that socket 26 may be shaped to slidably matingly engage other types of nuts such as square nuts, hexagonal nuts or the like. An axial bore 27 of reduced diameter interconnects socket l9 and bore 18 and is delineated therefrom by upper and lower peripheral shoulders 28 and 29 respectively.

A sleeve or bushing 32 having an axial bore of lesser diameter than that of bore 27 is positioned and secured in the proximal end of bore 18 with its upper end abutting shoulder 29. A slide rod 33 projects through and axially slidably engages bushing 32. A stop ring 34 is affixed to the upper end of rod 33 and is disposed in bore 27, and a stop ring 36 is affixed to the lower portion of rod 33 above its bottom end. A helical compression spring encircles rod 33 and is entrapped between the bottom face of bushing 32 and lower stop ring 36 resiliently to urge slide rod 33 to its lowermost position, as limited by stop ring 34 engaging the top face of bushing 32. In the lowermost position of rod 33 its bottom end is located a slight distance above the bottom or distal end of socket 26. A nut retainer member in the form of a plug 38 having an axial bore is mounted on the lower portion of rod 33 with the bore therein engaging rod 33. The plug 38 is of approximate frustoconical configuration with a slightly concave downwardly inwardly tapering outer peripheral face 39 and flat circular upper and lower end faces 40 and 41 respectively, upper end face 40 tightly abutting the underface of ring 36 and the lower end face'4l being tightly engaged by an enlarged flat circular head 42 formed at the bottom end of rod 33 and of lesser diameter than plug end face 41. The plug bottom face 41 is of slightly lesser diameter and plug upper end face 40 is of greater diameter than that of the threaded bore of nut l 1. Plug 39 is radially compressible and is formed of a resilient or elastomeric compressible synthetic organic polymeric resin, for example, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene or other polyolefin or fluorinated polyolefin or the like. In the advanced lowermost position of plug 38 under the influence of spring 37 the plug underface 41 is shortly above the bottom end of socket 26.

Considering now the operation of the improved socket wrench described above in the separation and removal of a nut 11 from bolt 13, socket wrench 10 is mounted on and coupled end-to-end to a drive member 21 and is applied to bolt 13 and depressed until socket 26 matingly engages serrated face 12 of nut 11. With the depression of socket wrench 10 on bolt 13 the upper end of bolt 13 bears on enlarged head 42 to raise rod 33 and plug 38 against the influence of and compressing spring 37. The socket wrench 10 is then turned by means of tool 21 to loosen nut 11 and unscrew it from bolt 13. With the unscrewing of nut 11, the upper end of bolt 13 withdraws from socket 26 to permit the lowering of plug 39 along socket 26 under the influence of spring 37. As nut 11 is unscrewed above the top of bolt 13 plug .38 enters the bore in nut 11 as urged by spring 37 until it tightly engages the nut bore, as the chain in FIGS. 1 and 2, plug 38 beingradially compressed with such bore engagement. Upon the complete unscrewing of nut 11 from bolt 13 the socket wrench 10 is raised, carrying with it the nut 11 and nut 11 may thereafter be easily finger separated'from plug 26 and socket 26.

In applying a nut 11 to bolt 13, the above procedure is merely reversed, A nut 11 is inserted into socket 26 and into engagement with plug 38. The nut is then screwed onto bolt 13 and with the lowering of the nut along the bolt, the upper end of bolt 13 bears on head 42 to raise plug 38 out of engagement with the nut.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment of the present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations, omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spirit thereof.

1 claim:

1. A nut retaining wrench comprising a longitudinally extending body member having a nut engaging socket in its distal end, a nut bore-engaging retainer mounted in said body member coaxial with said socket and axially movable between an advanced position proximate the distal end of said socket and a retracted position rearwardly of said advanced position, and means resiliently urging said retainer member toward its advanced position, wherein said bore-engaging retainer member comprises a plug coaxial with said socket and tapering inwardly toward the distal end thereof, said plug being formed of a compressible material.

2. The wrench device of claim 1 wherein said plug is of frustoconical configuration.

3. The wrench device of claim 1 wherein said body member has a tool receiving socket formed in its proximate end coaxial with said nut engaging socket.

4. The wrench device of claim 1 wherein said body member has a coaxial bore communicating with said bore engaging socket and including a longitudinally extending rod slidably engaging said body member above and supporting said plug at the distal end of said rod.

5. The wrench of claim 1 wherein said body member ient compressible synthetic polymeric resin. 

1. A nut retaining wrench comprising a longitudinally extending body member having a nut engaging socket in its distal end, a nut bore-engaging retainer mounted in said body member coaxial with said socket and axially movable between an advanced position proximate the distal end of said socket and a retracted position rearwardly of said advanced position, and means resiliently urging said retainer member toward its advanced position, wherein said bore-engaging retainer member comprises a plug coaxial with said socket and tapering inwardly toward the distal end thereof, said plug being formed of a compressible material.
 2. The wrench device of claim 1 wherein said plug is of frustoconical configuration.
 3. The wrench device of claim 1 wherein said body member has a tool receiving socket formed in its proximate end coaxial with said nut engaging socket.
 4. The wrench device of claim 1 wherein said body member has a coaxial bore communicating with said bore engaging socket and including a longitudinally extending rod slidably engaging said body member above and supporting said plug at the distal end of said rod.
 5. The wrench of claim 1 wherein said body member is longitudinally bored and the bore terminates in a forwardly facing shoulder and said urging means comprises a helical compression spring engaging said rod and entrapped between said shoulder and said plug.
 6. The wrench device of claim 5 wherein said plug is of frustoconical configuration and is formed of a resilient compressible synthetic polymeric resin. 